I'll show you what true love is
by vivianquills
Summary: My promise was, "So in 20 years ask me if I love you, and I will say 'more than anything'" What happens when a boy who seems to have it all in his small town life, meets a girl who turns everything upside down for him? It's time to live. A Niley story.
1. Chapter 1: A little change

**Disclaimer: I don't own Miley or the Jonas Brothers, or Selena, but how awesome would that be if I did?**

**a/n: So, I am new to this whole fanfiction deal. Basically, I like to write. So let me know what you think.**

I walked through the cafeteria and took my normal seat in the back table, surrounded by my group of friends, same as I did everyday at lunch time. The group of my friends, which made up a good portion of the junior class here, all smiled their warming welcome at me, the same as they did every day. Selena smiled widely when she saw me, and patted the seat next to her. "Hey Nicky!" she said a little too loudly, just like she did every day. I could only offer a returning smile and then open my bottle of water, before Selena and her friends, Tanya and Leah launched themselves into the gossip they had uncovered during the first half of the school day. The whole process had become entirely monotonous.

I sighed, taking a drink of my water, and idly playing with the cap to the bottle while tuning out the rather annoying hushed voices of the girls that the rest of the table was paying intent attention to. How much drama could ensue in just a couple hours in a town this small anyways?

Everything about this town bored me, and I knew what the place really needed, a little change, and a little excitement. They needed someone to come in and shake things up a bit. The thought had no sooner crossed my mind, than a hush fell over the entire cafeteria. My eyes darted up from the lid idly twirling between my fingers to see a slender brunette girl walking into the room. She was alone, and entirely unrecognizable. The girl stood, dressed differently than anyone that lived anywhere around the small town. She was in a pair of dark wash skinny jeans, and neon colored converse, the display of dark and bright color contrasted greatly with her plain white t-shirt, but through all of that distraction, her green eyes were still the most noticeable. I knew I was staring, but I couldn't help myself, besides, it wasn't like I was the only one, not by a long shot. Then for the first time the whole lunch period, Selena's hushed words to her friends actually registered., "That's her, the new girl. I have her in two of my classes. Total weirdo from LA." Then, to my immense surprise, Selena stood up and waved her arms in an overdramatic and quite ridiculous fashion. "Miley! Over here!" She practically bellowed in the silent cafeteria.

All eyes were on this ridiculous display, and then quickly shifted to the new girl, Miley, to see what her reaction would be. I eyed her, seeing her cheeks turn a deep shade of pink, before she quickly looked down and walked quickly over to Selena who was still standing. There was no doubt in my mind that Selena had put on the display so that everyone in the whole school could see that she was friends with the new girl. She was a social climber, even though she was pretty much already queen of the school. Selena would add being friends with the new girl to her list of accomplishments. She already had the most popular group of friends, influential parents, straight A's, the yearbook title of best hair, best smile, best fashion, most likely to succeed, and most likely to take over the world, and on top of all of that, she had the most popular guy in school as her arm candy, which just so happened to be me.

Miley quickly flashed a nervous smile at Selena when she got to the table, and then stood their awkwardly, as if she was waiting for some sort of invitation. Selena remained standing, and once again talking much too loudly, she began introducing Miley to everyone. "Alright, well this is Tanya and Leah, they are my total BFF's, I am sure you will love them," she said with a gesture toward her friends who were practically mini-Selena's in personality and fashion. The strawberry blonde, and very petite Tanya offered her a smile that seemed more wicked than inviting, and the bleach blonde, who was deeply tanned and stood as the tallest girl in the school at 5'8 simply nodded with no emotion, not even -bothering to look up at the girl they were being introduced to. Selena went on to introduce everyone in the group, Kyle, Tyler, Darrel, Ricky, Phil, Jenny, Blaire, and Abby. Then finally, a smug look rose into her eyes and she pulled me up from where I was sitting gazing at the new girl, trying to figure out what it was about her that was so different. "And this is Nick," she announced before planting an overdramatic kiss onto my surprised lips, then she shoved me back down to my seat, and I just ducked my head down, trying to hide behind the curls of my hair embarrassed.

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Lunch was finally over, and buy the time the bell rang, I was so sick of hearing the endless questions pressed on the new girl that I was beginning to regret my assessment that the town had needed something new to spice up life a bit. I would gladly go back to my monotonous existence rather than listen to anyone talk to this new girl in a voice that was meant to sound curious but only ended up sounding condescending and judgmental. It was clear already that people didn't think Miley belonged here, but I knew them all too well. They would make a joke out of her feelings, pretend to be friends with her while laughing at her every move when she wasn't looking their way. I was sick of the same old game that it always seemed to be with the people in this town.

Slowly, I picked my way through the dwindling crowd of teenagers who had their timing down pat so that they wouldn't have to leave for class one second earlier than necessary. After lunch was acting class and the teacher was the only teacher in this school who seemed to appreciate me for something more than my endless ability to pass classes with straight A's. Truly, I know I was looking forward to a class that required some sort of active effort to do good in, something that I could really take some small amount of pleasure from.

The unfortunate part about my thoughts drifting to the class period in front of me, was that my eyes tended to get lost with those thoughts. I was paying no attention to where I was walking, when I collided with something… or someone. Both of our binders fell with a loud crack to the ground, along with my cell phone. I quickly bent to pick up the fallen objects, not seeing who I had hit. As I looked up to apologize, I found myself staring into those captivating green eyes again. Strange, I had never seen eyes with such depth.

"Sorry about that," I said smoothly, though my heart was beating faster than a race horse. "I should really pay more attention to where I am going. Are you okay?"


	2. Chapter 2: With eyes downcast

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the story.**

**a/n: Ha, I know, the play character names are a little ironic, but I was too tired to think up my own.**

She didn't answer right away, finishing picking up her fallen papers, and then slowly standing. A process which took only seconds, but each too fast bear of my heart seemed to rake at my nerves. Finally, as I rose to stand next to her, she responded in a quiet voice, which almost sounded nervous, but I was sure she must just be wary after the treatment in the cafeteria. "It's okay, I wasn't really looking where I was going either," and she sheepishly pointed to a map of the school on top of her binder.

I couldn't help but to laugh in response, why anyone would need a map at a school with only twenty classrooms, I couldn't guess. Then suddenly I added on afterwards, "Where's your next class? I'll help you find it, for the walking safety of our fellow students." I flashed a smile at her, and my heart sped up even faster when I heard her responding laughter. It was short, and quiet, but seemed to be almost melodic.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to send anyone to the emergency room on my first day," she said with a sarcastic smile before adding, "room A12." Funny, how moments ago I had wished she'd never came, but now my heart, without actually slowing, seemed to be timing its rhythmatic beat to her voice.

"That's right next to my class," I said, surprised to find myself secretly delighted. We began walking through the departing crowd, and all eyes were on us. Neither me not Miley said a word, and for some reason, I decided looking at my feet while walking was better than meeting so many pairs of questioning eyes.

Soon we found ourselves in front of the door with the fading 'A12' painted onto it. I looked up for the first time since we had started walking and found those green eyes questioning me. She opened her mouth, about to say something, but just then the bell rang, and she spun around and disappeared through the door.

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I walked into Ms. Algoquin's room late, but instead of being upset she flashed me a relieved smile and darted across the room to where I was. The class was chaotic, all freshmen as usual. It was my third time in the class and I was more like a second teacher than another student. "You want to get them started in a warm up activity? Then I have the greatest idea to tell you. I was almost scared you had dropped the class there for a second Nick," she said a bit too fast with a jumpy laugh at the end. It was the way she tended to get when she was excited about a new play for the year. The school plays here were, well they were pretty much everything. Everyone auditioned, and everyone who didn't get a part came to see the play. I had gotten the lead role since two years before I even started in the high school, and the past year Selena had gotten the female lead, only helping to add to her popularity at the school.

After I had the class partnered off and doing a mirroring activity, I walked over to where Ms. Algoquin was scribbling quickly on a piece of paper. "I've got it! We will do a musical this year. It will make the play even BIGGER. I can't believe I never thought of this before. My daughter Stacy, you met her last year, wrote the whole thing, music and all. It's called _Invisible_," she gushed as soon as she saw me arrive. "It is about a high school boy who falls for a girl who never seems to notice him since she is too busy trying to live up to all of her parents expectations. And he shows her how to live for herself, and of course they fall in love. You will play the lead male, obviously, your voice is phenomenal. We will need to start holding auditions for a female lead as soon as possible though and…"

"Breath Ms. Algoquin," I had to interrupt with a laugh. "It sounds really cool. We can start auditions tomorrow after school if you want? I will hold them in the auditorium."

"You are an angel Nick," she said before she picked up a script and handed it to him, and then a folder of music. "There is the script and all the songs, so you can get to know them. I already have the stagecraft class next door working on the set, so if you can help keep an eye over them in the auditorium while auditioning people, that would be great."

I only nodded in response. I had already opened up the script and started reading, so soon found myself lost in the world of a character named Nate, and the girl of his dreams, Hannah.


	3. Chapter 3: Ride of silence

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, but the plot is alllll mine.**

By the time the bell rang I had managed to finish off the first act in the script and print off flyers advertising for auditions. There was no worry about people making time to tryout on such a short notice, this town would stop functioning if it meant putting out the annual school play. Ever since I could remember, it was our schools drama department winning grants from the National Endowment of the Arts that made our town proud, and so, we all loved the play. So, with flyers in hand I dashed from the classroom in front of the other students, hoping to catch Miley on her way out.

However, Miley was nowhere to be seen in the crowd of student leaving their classrooms, so, a little disappointed; I headed to my next class. Last hour was choir, and I only had to dash into the room and show the teacher the flyer to be excused from class to go hang them around campus. Choir class was pretty dull most of the time anyways, and only a select few of the students could actually hold a tune, so I wasn't really bothered. I knew Selena would be angry with me for not showing up however. She was the best female singer in the class, and always got solos for our performances, just as I always got the solos for the males. It was all getting to be a little ridiculous, and once again I found myself wishing for some change, something to stir up this town.

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I found myself once again searching for Miley in the crowd of people heading out to their cars in the school parking lot, all in their hurry to get home. She was still nowhere to be found. I was so distracted searching the faces of people all walking to their familiar cars that I was startled to see Selena leaning against my brother's Ford. Her arms were folded across her chest, and when I got close enough she said angrily, "Where were you today in choir? I was waiting for you."

"I know. I'm sorry. I was hanging up flyers for the auditions for this year's play. It's a musical," I said leaning to kiss her on the cheek. "Tryouts are tomorrow. You gonna be there?" I went on. I looked up to see Joe glaring in our direction, before he stomped off and jumped into the driver's seat, slamming the door with unnecessary force. Man, he must be impatient today. I looked back down at Selena who looked like she was still trying to maintain her angered expression.

"Yeah, of course I will be there…" she said in a quiet voice, looking down before she regained her anger and looked up at me. "So what's this I hear about you walking the new girl to class? I don't think you have ever walked me to class. Please don't say you like her all of a sudden; you have only known her for a couple minutes." Her body stance was still angry, but I could see the fear hidden deep in her eyes.

I quickly grabbed her arms, uncrossing them, and then pulled her into an embrace before looking down into her eyes. "She was lost. Her class was next to mine. I figured I should help her since you two seem to be friends. You are always telling me to make an effort to get along with your friends." I felt more like I was trying to justify it to myself and not to her. A wave of guilt washed over me as I realized that while I was gazing down into Selena's deep brown eyes, all I was seeing was a pair of shining green eyes that seemed to be consuming my thoughts. I leaned down to kiss her, but the loud honk of Joe's horn startled me. "I have to go. Looks like Joe is in a hurry today," I said with a sheepish grin before giving her a quick peck and running to the passenger door. "I'll call you tonight," I said before I opened the door and jumped inside.

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Joe hadn't said a word the whole drive. We were now stuck at a stoplight that was timed, and so even though no one was coming the other way, it shined a defiant red in front of us. The silence was beginning to get to me. I really couldn't figure out what I had done to make Joe so mad. I don't think we had ever sat in silence for so long, and it was driving me mad. Just as I was about to ask him what was up, he spun around and in a voice a bit too loud for the inside of the truck he asked, "So, I hear you have a thing for the new girl?" The bitterness practically dripped from his words.

I was shocked. Really? Even the senior class had heard about me walking a new kid to a class she wouldn't have been able to find on her own? "I just walked her to class Joe." I said almost as angry as him. Then a thought hit me. "You know, if you think she is cute or something, you can go for her. She's just a girl; I hardly even talked to her." I said a little more softly. I had to force each syllable to leave my mouth, and regretted it almost as soon as I had said it.

Joe looked genuinely shocked, and I couldn't help but think that he had a different reason for being angry. His next words seemed thoughtful, "The new girl? I guess I could huh?" I just shook my head. Sometimes the workings of Joe's mind seemed a mystery to me. I would never be able to guess why he had been so angry with me, but my mind was a bit distracted. I found a sense of dread hitting my stomach, wishing I had never made the suggestion. My brother had a notorious reputation for breaking girls hearts, and the last thing I wanted to see was a pair of green eyes filled with tears. I sigh escaped my lips, as I forced my mouth to keep shut. What happened to this girl was none of my business. I had just met her, I didn't even know her. The rest of the drive home was made in silence.


	4. Chapter 4: Invisible

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the plot.**

**a/n: Woo! Two in one day. **

The next day seemed to be passing slowly. Everyone was talking about the auditions, and the slow passing of the day only seemed to grow longer knowing that after school would pass just as slowly. I made my way through the first half of the day a little zoned out. I only answered direct questions about the play, but I was lost in my own little world, as I often became when planning out a play. I had finished the script the night before and already memorized all the songs. I was already beginning to picture the play, all the scenes and how they would happen. I already knew exactly what the set needed to look like, and would be there to tell the stagecraft class what to do after school.

When lunch came around, I was still lost in my own little world of planning everything out to the last detail. I nearly fell over when Selena came running up and threw herself into my arms, and kissing me, before she pulled back to smile up at my startled face. "My parents are gone tonight, so I was thinking after the auditions you could come over?" she asked. I looked to see Miley standing a couple feet behind Selena. They had clearly been talking before Selena saw me. I ducked my head down behind my curls and blushed with embarrassment.

"Sure Sel," I said in a low voice. She grabbed my hand, motioned for Miley to come with us, and then started off towards are usual table. A couple of people in the group shot Miley dark looks, not understanding why Selena was still hanging around her. As soon as we sat down though, Tanya shot a question about the play, and all hard feelings were forgotten as I spent the entire lunch hour talking about my plans for the play. They were used to me planning out the whole play by now, or my brother. Joe was just as good at planning as I was, but he preferred being off stage rather than taking a lead role like me.

I had nearly forgotten where I was in all my excitement, until the bell rang, announcing the end of lunch. I picked up my binder and looked around for Miley, but she was nowhere to be seen. She must have left already. I felt a spirits drop a little bit. After all, I hadn't even gotten to talk to her today. Selena was gone already too, and I was sure that there was no coincidence about it. A sigh escaped my lips as I made my way to acting class.

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Finally, it was the last class of the day. I walked into the choir room and took a seat next to Selena, putting my arm around her and leaning in to kiss her cheek. She turned from her conversation with a blonde girl named Alyssa to smile up at me. "Hey Nicky," she said with a large smile. Just then the teacher, Mr. Brown, walked in to the room insisting that we all stop talking and begin our vocal warm-ups. "Have you seen Miley?" Selena whispered in my ear. I shook my head no. "I can't believe she is late to class on her second day."

"She is in this class?" I asked, with perhaps too much excitement slipping into my tone, because she shot me an angry look before she nodded in response. She wouldn't talk to me for the rest of the class, and turned back to her conversation with Alyssa whenever we weren't singing some ridiculous practice song. When the bell rang she turned to leave the class, but I grabbed her and spun her around before she could get away. "Don't be mad at me Sel, I'm sorry. You're still going to come audition, right?"

She sighed, trying to avoid my eyes. "Yeah, let's go." I wrapped my arm around her waist and led her in the direction of the auditorium. If there was one thing that our school could be proud of, it was the huge auditorium, named after Ms. Algoquin's own father. It was by far the largest building on the small school campus, and could seat everyone in town, even if that was only around 1,000 people. We stepped into the huge building to see that, as I had expected, almost everyone in the school was already there.

Selena slipped away from my arms and shot a smile at me. "I'll be waiting for my turn to blow all these girls off the stage," she said teasingly before she disappeared into the crowd. I made my way with a sense of authority up onto the stage.

"Alright everybody," I said in a loud voice, and the chatter instantly fell silent. "This is how it is going to work, everyone auditioning for any non-singing, supporting roles will be up first, then any dancers and finally all people auditioning for a singing role will go last. If you are auditioning for a singing role, you need to have a song, as well as a monologue prepared to present. If you don't, then leave now. You must also have some sort of dancing skills, so don't look too uncoordinated or I won't even consider you. My brother, Joe, and I will be taking notes the whole time, and then we will post a call back list up tomorrow morning for anyone auditioning for a main role. All call-backs will audition for Ms. Algoquin. Alright? Let's get this started.

I stepped down from the stage and walked over to the table I had set up directly in front of it. Joe came out from backstage and took his seat next to me. And we watched, and watched, and watched, through dancers, some bad acting and some even worse singing. When Selena got up and performed her rendition of the song Can't Fight the Moonlight, I could have jumped right on stage and kissed her right there for actually having some talent. It looked like once again, me and Selena would be taking the lead roles. It wasn't like I had expected anything else.

The people were gone, and me and Joe were left cleaning up the a bit. The stagecraft class had left halfway through the auditions and so, my brother and I were alone in the huge auditorium together. "So, you actually gonna take a part in the play this year?" I asked him. We both knew he had the talent to probably kick me out of my role if he wanted to, but he just never seemed interested.

"Naw dude, you know that's not my thing," he said drawing the large curtains to a close.

"I really think you should be in it," I said, just like I had every year. Then, in a taunting voice I added, "It would look really good on a college application." He just grimaced in my direction. "Besides, you could play the role of my best friend. How exciting would that be? You know you would just _love_ to be my best friend," I laughed.

"Maybe I could…" he said in a thoughtful voice, catching me off guard. I had never seen Joe even contemplate theatre, let alone musical theatre. Before I could question him though, a voice came gently ringing through the empty auditorium from behind the curtain.

"I just wanna show you, she don't even know you. She's never gonna love you like I want to. You just see right through me, but if you only knew me we could be a beautiful miracle, instead of just invisible." The singing was possible the most amazing and breath-taking voice I had ever heard in my life. Both Joe and I froze in place, and our eyes turned to lock on the closed curtain.


	5. Chapter 5: Lost in the dark

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the plot.**

**a/n: Thank you all so much for all reviews and such. It means a lot. I'm glad you like the story, because writing it is super fun.**

"Who's still here?" whispered Joe, eyes still staring at the curtain.

I couldn't even answer. I just stood, mouth agape in shock. The voice had stopped singing, but there was a gentle humming coming from the other side of the curtain. Suddenly, as if my feet decided for me, I was dashing onto the stage and through the large curtain.

That didn't work out as well as planned, seeing as how we had turned the lights off. I made my way silently across the dark stage towards the humming and ran right into whoever the beautiful voice belonged to. She let out a terrified scream, and just then the large curtain swung open letting in the light. And right in front of me stood Miley.

Miley was trying to catch her breath from the fear, I was staring at Miley in shock, and Joe was staring at both of us from the ground. "Was that you singing?" I asked, practically at a whisper.

"That's what all this is about? You scared me senseless because you wanted to know who was singing!?" she asked in a shocked tone, looking at me as if I had just tried to justify murder. I could tell her heart was still racing from the scare I had given her. "Yeah that was me."

"Sorry for coming out of nowhere like that. It's just that, you have an amazing voice. Why didn't you audition?" As I thought it through I knew that it was perfect. She had to be in the play. I needed her. For the moment, Selena completely slipped from my mind and all I could see was my perfectly planned out play, now with the perfect female lead. The play needed her. I needed her.

"Oh, um, well plays really aren't my thing. I just work on the sets. I stayed after the rest of the group to clean up a little bit," she said with a blush rising to her cheeks as she looked down to stare at her feet. For the first time since I found her in the dark, I really looked her over. She looked like she had been working on sets. Her hair was thrown back in a fast ponytail, and she wore a pair of paint splattered jeans and a too large, paint splattered shirt. Her hands were fiddling with the seams of the shirt as if she was embarrassed to be seen dressed that way.

Then, for the first time, Joe spoke catching us both off guard. Miley jumped once again at the sound of his voice making me smile a little at how worked up she was. "You have to be in the play. It's perfect," he said all a little too fast and excited. I wondered what had gotten into him. "You play the female lead, I'll play Nick's best friend and Selena will take the role of your best friend." I was shocked. Apparently he had decided to take me up on the offer to be in the play after all. I wondered what had changed his mind, but only for a moment. I was too distracted trying to think of a way to convince Miley to be in the play. "Then we have the four most talented students in the four main roles. It's perfect."

I turned to look at her, looking right into her captivating eyes and said, "Please. You have such an amazing voice. We need you to make the play just right." A blush rose to stain her cheeks red again, and she looked back down at her shoes. She took a deep breath before she looked back up at me, and only managed to nod in consent. "Good," I responded, pleased. "Of course, now I just have to let Selena down. But I am sure she will understand once she hears you sing. It's what's best for the play."

I couldn't stand the fearful look she gave me when I mentioned telling Selena. "Don't worry. She isn't some crazy psycho who will kill you for getting her role. She will be a little jealous at most." I gave her my most reassuring smile.

"I wasn't worried about that. It's just… well, she is my only friend here. I don't want to get in a fight over some stupid play," she mumbled, once again looking down at her shoes.

I pulled her chin up so that she was looking at me. "She's not like that. She's really understanding. I know. She is the kind of person that will stick by your side through anything," I told her, remembering times past that Selena had proved herself to just that. "Now, I don't wanna hear another word. You already agreed remember?" I had to practically tear myself from looking into those eyes, but with a last smile, I bounded off the stage and grabbed Joe by the arm. We were half way out the door when I turned around to smile at her stunned and still wary expression. "I'll see you tomorrow at lunch. Then I would plan on me kidnapping you from class after lunch to start working on the play. No more backstage, stagecraft for you."


	6. Chapter 6: A new neighbor?

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the plot.**

**a/n: Sorry this one is so short.**

Me and Joe were happy, and joking, and laughing when we walked out to the empty school parking lot. Only Joe's truck was still there and as soon as we caught sight of it, Joe stopped laughing. Selena was standing next to it, eyes down on her cell phone while texting someone. As soon as we got closer, Joe cleared his throat and she looked up at us, a smile spreading across her face. "Hey, do you think you can give me a ride. Alyssa left me, and my parents are out for tonight. I figured it would be cool since Nick was coming over anyways," she said with the bright smile still on her face. I was surprised at first; after all of the auditions and then the conversation with Miley, I had forgotten that I had made plans to go to Selena's tonight.

Joe looked a little annoyed, but he just nodded in agreement, and we all piled into the truck. Joe drove, I rode in the passenger seat, and Selena sat squished in the small space between us. For the second time that week, I sat in Joe's car in complete silence. Finally, as we pulled onto Selena's street Joe said, "So, did Nick tell you that we decided to give the lead role to Miley? She's got this amazing voice." I turned to glare at him, talk about insensitive.

Selena was looking at me, hurt betrayal shining through her eyes so clearly. "What?" she barely made out. I could tell she was trying not to cry. A pang of guilt hit me; Selena lived for these plays. They were her whole world.

"Talk about the wrong time and place Joe," I practically yelled at him as we pulled into Selena's driveway. He only shrugged, and I jumped out the car door. I tried to help Selena to the ground, but she pushed my hand away, still upset and jumped down. I saw Joe smirk as he drove away. I would get him back for this later. We walked into her house in silence, and as soon as I had shut the door behind us, I grabbed Selena's hand to stop her from walking away.

Her eyes looked up at me, and I could see the few tears coming down that she couldn't hold back. "I'm sorry Sel. I have to do what's best for the play, and I am not the only one to make the decisions. Joe and Ms. Algoquin have a bigger say in it than I do. You still have a main role, second biggest female role in the play. You still get to sing." I was practically to begging now, willing to do anything to make her stop crying.

"It's okay," she said softly." I understand. I've heard her sing before, on that first day in choir that you weren't there. I know she is better than me." She tried to force a smile, but it ended up more of a grimace. I chuckled softly and her smile grew wider. "How about we watch a movie?" she asked, eager to change the subject, and I am sure, to get her mind off of the day's events.

"Sounds good to me," I said, leading the way into her family's large living room.

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We had been lying on her couch for hours watching movies, and at the end of the third one, she lay asleep in my arms. Trying not to disturb her too much, I pulled out my phone and opened it to call Kevin. It rang so many times, that I was sure that he had fallen asleep, though it was only 11, but finally he answered.

"Nick? Where are you?" came his voice through the phone.

I whispered my answer, so that I wouldn't wake Selena up. "I'm at Selena's. We were watching movies late. Is it cool if I just crash here?" I asked him. Even though he was only my brother, he was also my legal guardian since Mom and Dad had both passed away last year.

"Yeah, that's okay," he answered quickly. Kevin knew Selena, and he knew me. There was no need to worry about anything happening, and he knew just as well as I did how much she had helped me through. There were voices in the background, laughter. Joe obviously had a girl over.

"Who's Joe got over there?" I asked curiously.

"Oh, just some girl who moved in down the street about a week ago. Her family and she were coming back home from somewhere, and he said he knew her. So we invited her over. I think he said her name was Miley or something."

"Miley?" I asked in shock, forgetting to keep my voice down. Selena stirred. "Oh," I muttered more quietly, then hung up the phone without saying goodbye. I was too shocked to think of manners. Joe had Miley over? He can't have actually decided that he really did like her that fast. There was no way. I found myself wishing that I had gone home tonight so that I could have seen her too. I was angry at Joe, and yet, at the same time a part of me was thrilled. Just down the street.


	7. Chapter 7: Joe, do you love her?

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, only the plot.**

**a/n: So, this chapter is from Joe's perspective, just to keep that clear. I won't do many from other perspectives, but there are just some things that need to be said, that Nick isn't there for.**

Nick was following Selena up the driveway, with only the time to throw one hateful glare back at me. I knew I shouldn't do things like that, but I couldn't help it. I knew that he didn't love her as much as she deserved. I found myself smirking back at his incredulous look. I would pay for this later, and I knew it, but at the moment, I couldn't care less. Nick needed to figure out where his heart was, because right now I knew that it wasn't with Selena. I pulled out of the driveway and turned up the music as loud as I could, to try to drown out the thoughts that I knew I shouldn't be having.

I wasn't ready to go home, not just yet. I didn't like facing the house any more than the rest of us since we lost our parents. Kevin tried so hard to help us keep the lives we used to have, but it just wasn't the same. Nick had taken it the hardest. He wasn't as good at putting on a strong face as the rest of us. Even Frankie had seemed to handle the pain better, but then again, Nick had a lot on his plate. I sighed as I drove around the small town, knowing there was really nowhere to go, especially not somewhere private. In the end, I wound up driving out into the forest. I just sat in my car for a long time, staring off at nothing.

______________________________________________________

I didn't know how long I had been sitting there when my phone began ringing. I pulled it out of my pocket to see Kevin's familiar picture. I sighed and picked up the phone. "Hey Kevin, I was just on my way home, sorry."

"Dude, it's like 8. Are you okay?" he asked concern coating his tone. I always felt so horrible when I made him worry.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just girl problems, you know? I'm on my way right now." I started my trucks engine as I spoke the words.

The drive home was only a short one. Our house lay on the very edge of the town and there were only about 4 houses out this far all on the same street, our street. I turned onto our street and was surprised to see a car pulling into the driveway of the first house. I hadn't known anyone had moved in yet. Weird, most of the time when someone new comes it is a big deal. Then I saw the familiar girl step out of the truck and it all made sense, this was where Miley lived. I stopped my truck and rolled down the large window.

"Hey neighbor," I yelled with a grin.

She turned around and smiled when she saw me. She said something to her parents and then bounded over to my truck and stopped at the window. "Hey Joe," she said with the smile shining right up to her eyes. "You live around here?"

"Yeah, just about two houses down actually. Wanna come over for a while? You can meet the rest of the family. I promise Kevin and Frankie are a little more normal than Nick and I."

"Umm…" she said looking back at her parents, who obviously understood and nodded to her. "Yeah, sure," she said as soon as she saw their approval. She dashed around to the other side and hopped into the passenger seat. "I'll call you later Mom," she yelled out of the window as we drove away. Her parents smiled and waved, and I waved back. They seemed like nice people. She was lucky to have them.

When we got to my house I parked and then led the way inside. "Hey Kevin," I yelled into the large house, "I brought our new neighbor over for a while." In only took a total of five seconds for him to come running into the room and introduce himself. Then he left again. I led her into my living room. "I would introduce you to Frankie, but seeing as how he isn't up causing havoc, I am guessing that he is already asleep," I said laughing.

We sat on the couch and talked for hours. She did most of the talking, about her life and her family. I was content just to listen, she seemed so happy about everything. Time seemed fly by. She told me about her old home in LA, and her old school, and she told me about all of her old friends, Taylor, Mandy, Emily, Justin, Mitchell. By the time she ran out of things to say, I felt like I had met each and every one of them and known them for years.

"Miley, I gotta ask you, how did you end up being friends with Selena? I mean, nothing against her. She's… amazing, but you just don't seem like the type to be friends with her." My curiosity had gotten the better of me. I knew that it was something way out of line to ask, but I couldn't help myself. I was trying to understand this strange new neighbor of mine.

"Well…" she said softly, as if trying to figure out where to begin. "It's a little strange. Selena's mom and my mom used to be best friends. The thing is, is that her mom was dating my dad, and my mom was dating her dad. When they switched boyfriends, they lost contact for years, and then one summer, about three years ago, they decided to have a reunion. Selena and I were stuck hanging out together on some cruise they all decided to take. We didn't get along at all, and neither of us had any fun. And then my parents moved here, and I don't know… the first day of school she dragged me around like her own little show and tell, and I was so angry that I was ready to rip her head off. Then we got to choir class together, and everything changed. We found the one thing we had in common and we ended up hanging out that night, which I guess was only last night, and well, everything changed. She is a really great girl."

"Yeah, she is," was all that I managed to say.

A phone ringing in the other room made both of us laugh, and then burst into a fit of giggles that didn't end for almost a minute. Kevin's voice yelled from the other room, "Joe, you don't need to pick up Nick tonight." So, he was staying over at Selena's again. I tried to push the thought from my mind, but I obviously wasn't doing a very good job because Miley gave me a concerned look. I smiled at her, hoping it would reassure her.

"Joe…" she started, I could tell she was trying to get the courage to ask me something. She was a pretty easy person to read. "Where are your parents?"

I sighed; I knew that she would probably ask at sometime. Everyone in town knew, they had read the news reports. They had seen us try to deal with the pain. "Well, they uh, they passed-" My voice broke. "They passed away, about a year ago. Car crash."

She looked horrified. Weird, most people from big cities were used to stuff like that, hearing about deaths, or at least, I had always thought so. "I'm-I'm so sorry." She said, her entire face falling, but still filled with concern, hoping that she hadn't hurt me by asking.

"It's okay," I replied slowly. "We still have each other. Luckily, Kevin was old enough to be our legal guardian so we didn't have to split the family. Nick, well he wasn't so okay at first. He wouldn't talk to anyone but Selena. She helped him through it all, even though they had only been dating a week when it happened. She put up with all the horrid rumors, and funny looks to help him get his life back. She's a great girl."

"Oh," she said, looking a little upset. "He must really love her."

"Sometimes, I think that I can tell that he loves her, but I think it's more like a brother loves a sister. He just can't leave her after all she helped him through. When he dropped into his depression, he actually developed anemia too. She takes care of him," I said, remembering how I had come to meet the girl while she practically lived with us, making sure Nick was okay every second of the day. "Of course, it's not fair. She practically worships him, and he just stays with her because I think he is afraid of not having her," I added, not able to keep the jealous bitterness out of my voice. "She was what took our parents place. She should be able to find someone that loves her the way she loves him, and he should be able to find someone that he loves."

I saw a look of understanding flash across her face, and she whispered, "You love her don't you Joe?"


	8. Chapter 8: Clueless

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the plot. Song credit goes to my friend.**

**a/n: Alright, well it's back to Nick. He is so fun to write, all clueless to falling in love. Btw, the title of the story comes from an earlier version of the song that Joe sings in this chapter, before the song was refined and finished.**

I woke up the next morning, still on the couch. Selena, however, was already gone. I sat up, a little disoriented and still a bit sleepy. Then, I heard her familiar giggle from behind me and turned around. "Hey sleepy head," came her words, accompanied by a wide smile. She practically skipped across the room to sit next to me on the couch. "I'm sooo happy it's Saturday." I remembered where I was, and then I remembered the night before.

With a sudden sense of urgency I turned to her, "Wanna go back to my house? I'm sure Kevin's got something he _tried _to cook for breakfast again."

"Yeah sure," she said, still happy and smiling.

She grabbed her bag and sweater as we headed out the door, and then she took my hand in hers as we began to walk. It wasn't a far trip to my house, and we got there in about ten minutes. The whole town could be walked in only fifteen, as it was less than a mile wide. I bounded up the familiar steps and swung the door open. There was no one to be seen, but I heard voices coming from the living room, so I led Selena that way. We walked into the large room and there sat Kevin, Frankie, Joe, and _Miley._

I was shocked. She was back over already? Could my brother really already be dating her? I felt a rage growing in me. I carefully controlled my voice and asked, "Miley, isn't it a little early for you to be over already? I take it you're a morning person."

Kevin just smiled, clueless, and said, "She stayed over last night. We didn't get to sleep until like 3 watching scary movies. And let me tell you, Miley is a screamer." He laughed teasingly in Miley's direction.

I just glared at Joe, but he didn't see. He was looking at Selena. I guess she must look pretty shocked to see Miley here too. But then, Miley's voice broke the awkward silence, "Sel! You're here. You wanna help me out here? I was just telling Joe that his new song was _so _good. He wrote it just last night. But he won't listen to me. Listen to it, and tell him just how wonderful of a song writer he is."

Joe was looking at Miley, shocked, and then an almost glare. She just smiled playfully back at him. I didn't have the time to figure out what that was about though. All I had gotten was that Joe had written a song last night. He only ever wrote songs for girls when he really liked them, and he had been with _Miley._ The rage inside me grew larger.

"Sure," Selena said, oblivious to the atmosphere in the room. She walked over to sit next to Miley and watched Joe pick up his guitar. He looked suddenly nervous, and darted a glance in my direction.

"Okay, uhh, this is called Circles," he said before he began to move his fingers effortlessly across the frets and his pick strummed out a rhythm. Even though I had heard Joe sing before, it always took my anger away for a moment. He was just so darn talented. We had all been blessed musically, even little Frankie.

"And honestly I think it's time to admit something that's been on my mind,  
you're an angel in disguise.  
And truthfully, I skip a beat, every time that our eyes meet.  
And every night I pray you feel the same.  
So let me say…" The guitars rhythm changed, I knew the chorus was coming.

"We could walk through the park, and I would wrap you in my arms.  
Let's dance to the stereo in your room,  
and just lay on our backs, and stare at the moon.  
I'll show you what it's like to feel alive."

"So I will try to the best of my ability, to get to the point, to keep this short and sweet.  
How do I word this? How do I get this through?  
I'm head over heels, madly in love with you.  
I know I'm too shy for my own good, but all I need is a little push."

"We could walk through the park, and I would wrap you in my arms.  
Let's dance to the stereo in your room,  
and just lay on our backs, and stare at the moon.  
I'll show you what it's like to feel alive." There was a guitar solo for a few seconds, and I saw him dart a glance up, first at Selena, then Miley, then he gave me an apologetic smile. Who knows which of the many things he needed to apologize for that he was feeling guilty for, I didn't care. My eyes were locked on Miley. She wasn't watching Joe play; she was watching Selena. I got the strange feeling that I was missing something, and was probably about as clueless as Kevin or Frankie who were both smiling, unaware of any tense feelings in the room.

"This is how I feel about you. Tell me can you feel it too?  
Cause if you can, then grab my hand and run.  
This is how it feels to be loved."

The song faded out, and Miley and Selena both broke into instant applause. Kevin's smile grew wide. I knew he was happy to see Joe finally singing again. It had been his passion before we had all fallen into a slump. "Joe, I can't believe you don't think that song is good. It was amazing," Selena said, breaking the silence and beaming at him. A blush rose to his face, but my eyes darted to Miley. She was smiling smugly at him, in an 'I told you so' kind of way. Once again, I felt clueless. What was going on in my own house? And how did Miley tie into it? Those were the only two things that mattered right now. Nothing else.


	9. Chapter 9: On the edge of the bed

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the plot.**

**a/n: So, I know that I have been updating really fast, and I love doing that. But the pace might slow down for a week or so. A girl at my work, well her ex boyfriend got mad and was shaking her baby, and now the baby is in the hospital with only a forty percent chance of living. It's possibly the most horrifying thing I have ever heard. So, we are all helping take some of her shifts, and I am scheduled every night this week. I don't know what's happening next week, but for now it's going to have to slow down. I am so sorry.**

The girls had run off to the kitchen, deciding that anything they could cook would be better than what Kevin, Joe, or I would attempt. I was still standing in the entry to the room, trying to control my anger. I hadn't moved since I'd seen Miley sitting in there. Joe was putting his guitar away silently, and then he turned to smile at me, as if he was about to say something. When he caught sight of my hateful glare, he paused for a moment and then whispered, "Dude, it was just a song. Chill out. It didn't mean anything."

"DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING?!" I knew that I probably shouldn't be yelling, but I didn't care. He was just watching me warily, eyes darting to the hallway, hoping Selena and Miley wouldn't hear. "So what, you're just going to lead her on? Let her think you care about her?!" I said a little quieter, but still with bitter anger rolling off of every syllable. He opened his mouth to respond, but I didn't want to hear it. I didn't need to hear it. For the first time in my whole life, I was ashamed to admit that he was my brother. I just held up my hand and said, "Spare me." He was hurt. I could tell. The cruel thing was that I was happy about it. "Miley deserves so much better than you," was all I whispered in hatred before I turned from him and stormed off to my bedroom.

His voice fading in the background sounded shocked and confused, not exactly meant for me to hear, but more like he was questioning to himself that he had just heard right, "Miley?" I didn't go back to clarify anything for him. He didn't deserve it. Playing with a girl's emotions like that. She was new here too. He was going to make her hate this place. I was too mad to sit down when I got to my room. I just locked the door and started pacing back and forth.

It was a while before I was able to contain my rage enough to focus on anything at all. Then, I threw myself face down on my bed. I didn't want to think about this, but the thoughts came anyways. I knew that it didn't matter if Joe was going to hurt Miley or not, I did NOT want him with her, not at all. At the same time, I knew that it was completely ridiculous for me to think like that. She was just a girl. What should I care? I punched my pillow hoping to relieve some anger that I couldn't control.

There was a gentle tapping on my door. It was probably Selena. She always made sure I was okay if anything upset me. I knew she was afraid that I would sink back into my depression, but really, that was never going to happen. I didn't say anything, but just as I expected I heard the door swing open anyways. "I'm fine," I mumbled still face down. I heard soft footsteps cross the room, and then someone sat next to me on the bed.

"Nick, we need to talk," came a voice that sadly, I recognized too well. It was Miley. I shot up from where I was lying and looked over to her. She was just looking at me, as if trying to decide how to handle something. "I helped Joe write the song for…another girl, and he really cares about her. It wasn't about me. So don't be mad at him for that." She looked at me pleadingly. She was obviously not one who dealt well with fights. "Besides, Joe wouldn't stand a chance. I already have my eye on someone," she added jokingly, hoping to lift my spirits. Remarkably, that last statement did nothing to help settle my anger.

I sighed. "I know, I know. I over reacted. I just, well I didn't want to see you get hurt. You're a special girl Miley," I said in a low voice, looking into her breathtaking eyes.

She blushed a little and looked down. "Thanks," she mumbled. "Now if only I could convince a certain boy to see that."

"He doesn't know what he is missing."

She laughed a short, somewhat sarcastic laugh. "What?" I asked.

"Just… ironic." Then she pulled me up by the hand and quickly said, "Let's go. We finished breakfast. It's about time you boys ate a decent meal." I laughed. She was probably right. I followed her down the stairs and into the kitchen. Everyone else was there, still talking and laughing as if nothing had happened. But the second I walked in the room, I saw Selena's worried eyes dart over to me and she quickly made her way across the room and threw her arms around me.

"I'm fine Sel," I whispered, just loud enough so that only she could hear. With that, she released me and offered a smile in my direction. I just laughed quietly. "I'll never have to worry about anything with you on guard, will I?" She just shook her head and went back to eating. I glanced up at Joe who was watching our every move. _Well, here goes nothing, _was all I could think as I began to cross the room to where he was.

"Sorry man. I guess I am just a little stressed out," I said quietly because I knew that all eyes would be on us.

"It's okay. To be honest, I probably deserve it," he mumbled, looking so regretful that I couldn't figure out what he could possibly be beating himself up about. But, he turned and started up a conversation with Frankie, so I figured that I wouldn't find out for a while. The room turned to laughter and chatter as we all ate our meal. Something about all these people, was just right. It was a feeling I hadn't felt in a long time. I felt like I was with family. I felt like I was home.


	10. Chapter 10: Déjà vu

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the story.**

**a/n: Sorry it took so long, that will never happen again. Ha, and sorry this is just sort of a filler chapter. I should have another one up by tomorrow morning.**

The rest of the weekend was spent with Joe trying to decide the rest of the rolls for the play. It was boring, monotonous, and almost made me forget anything had happened to change my life from being that boring and monotonous every day. But as Monday came around, as Mondays tend to have a bad habit of doing, and soon I found myself in the school cafeteria once again.

I had no sooner stepped in the entrance though, than Joe came up behind me. "Hey man, grab Selena and Miley and then meet me in the drama room, Miss Algoquin wants to meet our newest star," he said, and then walked off in a hurry. I sighed and decided to grab a diet coke before I headed over to my usual table to find the girls.

However, they were nowhere to be seen at the table, where everyone was huddled closely and Tanya was whispering at what should have been a record rate. I approached them, and cleared my throat. Half of my friends jumped, and Tanya quickly stopped talking to flash a winning, and guilty, smile in my direction. "Selena or Miley here?" I asked through clenched teeth. That girl was really raking on my last nerve lately. She just shook her head innocently, and I turned to walk away.

I hadn't gotten more than two steps when I heard one of them whisper, "I feel so bad for the kid." The sudden sense of déjà vu was inescapable.

_________________________________________________________________

**Flashback-**

_Everything around me seemed colorless. I didn't even know why I was at school. What was the point anyways? I had nothing to live for._

_I was vaguely aware of the arm wrapped through mine that guided me to the table of friends I had known for my whole life. They were all leaned in close whispering something, but when Darrel nudged the person next to him, they all looked up to see me standing there, and smiled encouragingly at me._

_I saw Selena shoot them all warning looks, and then, with her arm still wrapped through mine, she closed the last few steps to the table and we sat down. The lunch was a blur to me. I heard nothing anyone said, and probably might as well not have been there at all. In the end it wouldn't have mattered. Selena's eyes, however, never left me, with a worried expression in them. I knew she spent the whole time waiting for me to snap, but really I could carry on just fine._

_After what seemed like hours, and seconds, all at the same time, Selena quickly stood and muttered something about how we had to go, while glaring at Tanya all the while. She must have said something that would have upset me. Too bad I wasn't listening. I stood to follow Selena, who wrapped her arm through mine once again, and gave me a comforting look. We were walking away when I heard the eruption of whispers from behind us. All that I could make out was the once voice that rose above the rest, "I feel so bad for the kid. I don't know how I would deal if I lost my parents."_

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I didn't even bother to worry about what they could possibly be talking about now, I was happier than I had been in a while. Just then, I saw Miley and Selena walk through the door. A rush of relief washed over my body. I was so done dealing with the people I had once thought of as my friends. I walked over to them as quickly as I could and then with one glance back at the table of whispering people I said to them, "Come on guys, let's go. Ms. Algoquin is looking for us."

Selena's eyes shot over to the table with understanding, while Miley just nodded in enthusiasm. And then the three of us left the cafeteria and walked over to the drama room.

Joe was waiting for us inside, and the second we walked in the door, his eyes looked in our direction, and a smile made its way onto his lips. Ms. Algoquin was typing away on her computer, but when the door clicked shut behind us, her eyes darted up, and she quickly jumped out of her seat. "You must be Miley!" She said running over to the girl and quickly grabbing Miley's hand in both of her own, she shook it vigorously.

Miley grew shy, and was only able to nod nervously in response. "Well," Ms. Algoquin went on in an enthusiastic voice, "we need to hear you sing." My heart began to pound. I couldn't wait to hear her voice again, after all, I had only heard her sing for a couple seconds before I ambushed her in the dark. I tried to steady my beating heart, but it refused to calm down.

"Umm… yeah… okay," Miley muttered nervously, looking at her feet. "Truth is, I am kind of afraid of singing in front of people." My jaw dropped, literally. How could she be afraid of singing in front of people? She was amazing. I had never heard a voice as beautiful as hers in my 16 years of life.

"Well, I think now is about as good as time as any to face that fear. Don't you think, Miss leading role in the school musical?" came Ms. Algoquin's comforting voice.

Miley just nodded, and then continuing to stare down at her feet and then for the second time in my life, I heard the voice that sent my heart in flutters.

"Dear Diary,  
Today I saw a boy and I wondered if he noticed me,  
he took my breath away.

Dear Diary,  
I can't get him off my mind  
and it scares me 'cause I've never felt this way.

No one in this world knows me better than you do,  
so diary I'll confide in you.

Dear Diary,  
Today I saw that boy as he walked by I thought he smiled at me,  
and I wondered

does he know what's in my heart?  
I tried to smile, but I could hardly breathe.  
Should I tell him how I feel  
or would that scare him away?  
Diary, tell me what to do,  
please tell me what to say.

Dear Diary,  
One touch of his hand,  
now I can't wait to see that boy again.

He smiled,  
and I thought my heart could fly."


	11. Chapter 11: Time for tears

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

The room had fallen completely silent. Ms. Algoquin was gazing at Miley with admiration and a goofy smile on her face. I was amazed that everyone hadn't turned to look at me yet, because my heart was beating so loudly. I tried to breathe to slow it down, but it seemed like I had forgotten how. Everything in the whole room seemed to have disappeared except for Miley, and when she finally looked up, my eyes were locked onto hers. And the whole room just sat in silence, as her eyes held my gaze.

I felt like time had frozen right then and there, and I was perfectly content with that. All that convinced me that time was still ticking away was the erratic beating of my heart. The silence dragged on, and I was completely unaware of whatever else was going on in the room, but I heard someone stumble into one of the desks, and then the bell rang announcing the end of lunch.

I finally ripped my gaze away from Miley to see the door to the classroom swing shut, and then Joe quickly left too. Selena must have been in a hurry to get to class.

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**Selena's POV**

I smiled as my new friend finished her song. She was good, really good. Sure, I was a little jealous. After all, she had gotten my lead roll, but I could deal. I knew talent when I heard it, and Miley was talented. As she finished, I noticed that Ms. Algoquin was smiling like a little school girl. Obviously, she knew talent too. I felt my smile growing.

Sure, I might not have always liked Miley. In fact, when I first met her thanks to my parents, I hated her. After that first day though, we just sort of clicked. She seemed to make everyone happy when she was around, including me. It felt good to finally have a friend besides Nick, Kevin, and Joe that I could actually trust. I mean, I had plenty of friends, but they were all gossipers and popularity seekers. The kind that would stab you in the back in a heartbeat. I knew that, and I accepted that.

The room remained silent, and I my eyes wandered away from Miley and landed on my boyfriend, searching to see if he accepted my newest friend, because that was the most important thing in the world to me.

His eyes were locked on the girl in front of him. Moments passed, and their eyes were still just staring straight back at the others. What was going on here? I looked to Joe questioningly, only to find that he was glaring at the way his brother seemed dumbfounded by Miley. After a moment, Joe's eyes met mine, in an apologetic kind of way, like he was sorry for something… sorry for me.

Ms. Algoquin quickly jumped up and clapped her hands together, sensing the awkwardness that had fallen over the moment. "Well Miley, that was wonderful, you are going to be perfect in the play," she said in a happy tone and then walked through the back door of the room that led straight into the backstage of the auditorium.

Neither Nick, nor Miley moved. They both just continued gazing into each others' eyes as if nothing had happened, nothing had been said. I really can't say that either of them heard anything at all. My eyes remained on my boyfriend, who was giving Miley a look that he had never once given me, a look that I had always yearned for.

I felt the tears begin to well up in my eyes, and I stumbled backwards, hitting a desk on my way. I nearly fell over, but Joe was right there to catch me. He pulled me right up into his arms and whispered, "Selly? Are you okay?" I couldn't look up and meet his eyes, not while I was about to cry. I bit down on my lip and just shook my head vigorously. The tears began to fall and I quickly twisted from his arms and began to run for the door, the bell rang just as I ripped it open, and I ran out and around the corner.

I heard Joe's voice from behind me, "Selena! Wait." I just kept running. I didn't want him to see me cry, especially not over his brother. I made it out past the last building and after a moment in time I found myself deep in the woods that bordered our school, and this whole town for that matter.

I stumbled over some fallen branch and fell to the ground. The tears were coming so fast now, and I was shaking from the sobs. I pulled myself along the ground, unable to bring myself to stand again and then when I reached the trunk of a large tree, I grabbed my knees with my arms, and curled myself into the smallest ball I could manage.

And there I rocked, sobbing. Every breath I took seemed more painful and ragged than the last, while the tears stained my cheeks. I couldn't see, I couldn't think, there was nothing. No life. No point. No love. No meaning. I wrapped my arms tighter around my knees, wishing sincerely that I would just disappear inside myself. Just cease to exist. This couldn't be happening.

I don't know how long that I sat there, with no awareness except the deep pain of a heart breaking, when I heard a soft voice, a deep voice. I didn't know who it was. I didn't know what they were saying. Then, I found myself wrapped in the warm arms of someone else. It didn't matter who was there, I fell willingly into the arms, ripping my own free from their grasp around my legs to throw them around whoever was here. I needed them.

_____________________________________________________________________________

**a/n: So I know, I don't do it the way most people do. Selena isn't some slut. She isn't self centered. She isn't the bad girl out to get everybody. When I first started writing, she was. But then I realized something. In the real world, good girls get their hearts broken too. We give our entire hearts and lives to boys that we love with every ounce of our being, only to never be loved in return. It's the way life works. It's the way love works. Selena is in this story for every girl who is like me, who loved someone with all their heart, but when they saw that person fall in love with a close friend of theirs, they had to accept that they were happy. It hurts, heartbreak does, but Shane loves her in this story because I would like to think that the reason we lose the guys who never loved us enough, is because real love is waiting out there for us. So that's just so you guys realize where my train of thought was on this one. Sorry this one is short too, I just wanted to get another one up tonight.**


	12. Chapter 12: Your hand in mine

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**a/n: ARE YOU READY FOR SOME NILEY MOMENTS? Cause I am finally to one of the scenes that I pictured when I got this idea.**

My eyes flickered back to Miley as soon as Joe was out the door. Since when did those two start running to get to class anyways? Especially Joe? Oh well, it really didn't matter. Joe was being a total spaz recently anyways. I could really care less what odd thing was his newest.

Miley had gone back to staring nervously at her feet, with her cheeks stained a deep red color. I smiled softly and then said, "Miles, Ms. Algoquin said you should just start coming to drama instead of stage craft this class, so that me and you can practice." Students were starting to come in from lunch, talking loudly to each other as they noisily took their seats. Miley only nodded without looking back up at me. "Alright, let's head over to the auditorium," I said, guiding her towards the back door.

Just as we reached it, Ms. Algoquin came rushing back through, with a pile of worn looking scripts in her hands. "Oh Miley, you stayed. Good, good. I cleared it up with your teacher already. Nick, will you help her work on some of the songs?" she said, all much too fast. Without waiting for an answer, she dashed up to the front of the classroom and began handing out the scripts to the students. "Alright class, today we are going to start some quick two person skits. So find a…." her voice faded off as I led Miley through the back door and into the auditorium.

The door shut behind us with a muted thud, and I found myself standing alone with her in the large backstage area. My heart was pounding again and I had to duck my head down because I felt the flush rising to my cheeks. I turned away from her silently and made my way to the stage and the large grand piano. I was still unable to look up at her, though I knew she had followed me. I sat myself down, and felt my fingers begin to glide over the keys playing Chopin, my favorite composer.

She stood behind me in silence. I couldn't look up; my heart was still pounding too hard. My eyes stared at my fingers as they danced across the black and white keys in the familiar pattern that I loved, but I could feel her presence. The song came to its close and her voice whispered softly from behind me, "I didn't know you could play piano. That was beautiful." I looked up from my hands and into her eyes once more and just managed a nod with a small smile.

"Well, I guess we should get started teaching you the songs," I muttered. She smiled in response and I lifted the folder of music from its place on the piano. "You have two solos, one duet with me, and one with Selena," I went on flipping through the folder of music.

"Okay," she said taking one of the song sheets out from the folder. "You're here now, so let's practice the duet." I barely heard a word she said because when she had gone to grab the sheet of music, her fingers had brushed mine, and my heart had grown to an almost deafening thudding in my ears.

"Yeah, okay," was all that I got out. She sat beside me at the piano bench and placed the sheet of music in front of me. My fingers once again began their dance across the keys and the music came out. My part of the song was first, and my words came out nervously. After all, I had never sang in front of her before.

"How did I get here, turned around,  
And there you were.  
I didn't think twice or rationalize,  
Cause somehow I knew,  
that there was more than just chemistry.  
I mean I knew you were kind of into me.  
But I figured it's too  
Good to be true."

I tried to focus on the keys under my fingers, not to lose the rhythm, but she was looking right at me with such intensity that I found it hard. And then, my world once again seemed to seem complete as she sang.

"I said pinch me. Where's the catch this time?  
Can't find a single cloud in the sky.  
Help me before I get used to this guy."

The next part was for both of us, but the most amazing thing happened when we sang together. Nothing in my whole life had ever felt so right before. I forgot about the keys underneath my fingers, but the music seemed to keep playing in my little world.

"They say that good things take time,  
But really great things happen in the blink of an eye.  
Thought the chances to meet somebody like you were a million to one.  
I cannot believe it, whoa oh  
You're one in a million."

I found myself standing up from the bench, extending my hand out to her. Miley placed hers in mine and stood next to me, but I didn't let go of her hand. My fingers tightened around hers as she continued to sing her part of the next verse.

"All this time I was looking for love.  
Trying to make things work,  
They weren't good enough.  
'Til I thought I'm through.  
Said I'm done.  
Then stumbled into the arms of the one."

I pulled her closer to me until our bodies were only inches apart, and then I released my grip on her hand to entwine my fingers with hers. She could only stare down at our hands while I went on with my part, eyes never leaving her.

"You're making me laugh about the silliest stuff.  
Say that I'm your diamond in the rough.  
When I'm mad at you,  
You come with your velvet touch.  
Can't believe that I'm so lucky.  
I have never felt so happy,  
Every time I see that sparkle in your eyes."

My heart danced as our voices sang together once again.

"They say that good things take time,  
But really great things happen in the blink of an eye.  
Thought the chances to meet somebody like you were a million to one.  
I can not believe it, oh whoa  
You're one in a million.

"All this time I was looking for love.  
Trying to make things work,  
They weren't good enough.  
Til I thought I'm through.  
Said I'm done.  
Then stumbled into the arms of the one.

"I said pinch me.  
Where's the catch this time?  
Can't find a single cloud in the sky.  
Help me before I get used to this love."

"They say that good things take time,  
But really great things happen in a blink of an eye.  
Thought the chances to meet somebody like you were a million to one.  
I can not believe it. You're one in a million.  
One in a million."

The song ended and the silence of the room fell upon us. I couldn't take my eyes off of hers for the second time in the past few minutes. At that exact moment in time, I had never felt so right. Being there with her was everything that I had never even known I was wanting.

_______________________________________________________________________

**Joe's POV**

Where had she gone? Worry was running through my veins like an infection. The woods were a big place and I had been searching for about ten minutes and hadn't even found a trail left by the girl. Finally, I saw her up against a tree. My heart that kept threatening to break every time that I saw her with Nick, finally snapped in two.

She was huddled against the tree, covered in dirt, with her shirt and clothes ripped from running without reason through the many trees and underbrush. Her tangled hair fell over her face, but I could see her body shaking with silent sobs. She was wrapped into a tight ball, trying to make herself as small as possible, and rocking back and forth. Each time she did so, her already tangled hair managed to rub against the trees rough trunk and tangle itself into a deeper knot.

My poor Selena. I took a step closer and said softly, "Selena? Selly please stop crying." She didn't look up. I took another cautious step forward and saw her face, stained with the tears that were still coming from her eyes. She was a mess. My heart was threatening to break into even more tiny sections of pain and despair and worry, when I through caution to the wind and ran forward. I knelt beside her on the ground and wrapped my arms around her.

The sobs came faster as she instantly unwrapped from her ball and threw her arms around me, collapsing into my chest. My arms tightened around her protectively and I whispered, "It's okay, Selly. It's okay."

We sat there for I don't know how long. Me with my arms wrapped around the tiny girl who meant the world to me, holding her close wishing I could make everything okay again. And her crying into my chest uncontrollably, shaking with each heart-wrenching sob.

_______________________________________________________________________

**a/n: Okay, so I had someone ask about the girl from my works' baby. Well, she is doing better. She is for sure going to live, and has woken up from her coma. We just found out the other day that she most likely won't be blind, but everything else is still in question.**


	13. Chapter 13: Playing hookie

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Only the sound of our breathing was there to break the silence. Miley was only inches away from me. Our bodies almost touching, our faces closer than they should be. I had not yet let go of her hand, and she was glancing from my eyes and down to our hands and then back again. "You make me feel like I am flying," I whispered truthfully.

Her eyes shifted to look back down at her feet, and suddenly my brain caught up with my heart. What was I doing here? I couldn't do this. I had a girlfriend. I released my grip on her hand and stepped back. Miley's eyes stayed glued to her feet. She still said nothing. Without thinking once again, I blurted out, "Why are you always so quiet and shy?"

Her eyes glanced upward towards me and she shrugged a bit before mumbling, "I'm really never shy. I never have been before. It just sort of seems to be around you." That caught me off guard. I was flattered, and yet at the same time, I was hurt. I wanted her to feel comfortable around me. I wanted her to talk non-stop and come out of her shell. I wanted to know everything about this girl

"Let's go," I said impulsively.

She stared at me, stunned. "Nick, it's the middle of class."

"So what? Do you think Ms. Algoquin would notice? Live a little Miles." With that, I took her hand in mine once more and led her off stage and through the empty seats to the front door of the auditorium, all with little resistance from her.

I didn't have a license or a car yet, so we had to walk. Of course, we didn't get caught. There was no one there to catch us. We walked in silence for a while, hand in hand, when suddenly she turned to me. "Where are we going?" she demanded softly.

I just chuckled a little bit, "You'll see." She stuck her tongue out at me teasingly, and I just beamed at her and began walking again.

Soon, we were turning onto the street we lived on, and finally recognizing her surroundings, Miley nervously exclaimed, "Nick! What if my parents see us?"

"Are they home?" I asked suppressing a laugh. Clearly, she was not used to skipping, or breaking rules for that matter.

"…no." She admitted, abashed.

"Then, I don't see the problem Miles." I said, leading her up my front steps and opening the door. "No one is going to catch us. Don't worry."

She just looked at me and I could see how nervous she was in her eyes. There was something about her manner that told me she wasn't just nervous because she had never skipped before. She was nervous because of something that had happened when she skipped. I wanted to ask her about it. I wanted to know everything about her, but I held myself back from asking for the time being, and led her through my front door. Miley's eyes darted about the house, as if she were expecting her parents to walk right out of my living room like they lived there.

"Are you sure no one is home?" she asked in a nervous whisper.

I found myself laughing. "Miley. I promise you. No one is home. We are not going to get caught." I grabbed her hand in mine and headed for the stairs. She seemed to be passively resisting every move I made and I could still see the look in her eyes that clearly said 'bad skipping experience' to me. "Miles, have you ever skipped before?" I asked her with a teasing smile, all the while trying to get her to move faster towards the stairs. However, walking and telling the story that came along with her answer did not seem to be two things that went together very well. Because, with a deep sigh, she stopped walking all together and launched into story.

"Of course I have, Nick. I'm not seven." She muttered sarcastically and I let out a small chuckle. "Back home, I used to always skip and stay home with my…. Uh, with Justin." She glanced down a bit, and I found myself looking at her questioningly, hoping that maybe just my gaze would tell me what I wanted most to know at that moment. Had she been about to say 'my boyfriend'? Or was that just my over active mind playing tricks on me? "And then one time, well, my parents came home early. I guess it was lucky they did, but I still was in a load of trouble."

"Why was it lucky that they came home?" I asked her in a soft tone. She had just opened her mouth to answer after a somewhat nervous pause, when the door came crashing open, causing us both to jump about a foot in the air. However, it seemed I would get lucky today, because instead of Kevin walking through the door, Joe was making his way through the entry with an awfully disheveled looking girl carried in his arms bridle style.

We both looked at each other in shock before asking at the same time, "What are you doing here?!" I saw his eyes dart to where Miley was standing next to me and a horrible look of hatred was shot back at me. I wasn't worried about that though, because with a shock I had finally realized that it was Selena draped in his arms.

"Sel?" came a shocked voice that wasn't my own. Miley had darted forward to look up at Joe questioningly. He just shot a glance at me and then nodded knowingly at Miley. Her entire face fell with what I could only guess was guilt, though I couldn't guess why she would blame herself for Selena's current condition. After all, she had been with me the whole time. She couldn't have possibly done anything to cause anyone harm.

I walked forward to try and take Selena out of Joe's arms. We needed to lie her down somewhere and figure out what was wrong. "What happened Joe? Is she okay?" I asked with fear running through my voice. She should have been happily in choir class. How in the world had she ended up like this? Joe quickly stepped back from my open arms though and shot me the same look of hate.

"I think you've done enough Nick." He practically spat in my direction. I heard a sob and spun around just in time to see Miley dart from the room. What in the sane world was going on? I followed Joe silently up the stairs to his room, where he placed Selena onto his bed, tucking the covers around her. He was staring down at her with such concern, I felt almost intrusive standing there.

"Is she okay?" I repeated stupidly.

"She's fine now. Finally cried herself to sleep." Joe said before he quickly spun me around and shoved me out of his door, slamming it shut behind me.


	14. Chapter 14: Slumber Party

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Jonas Brothers, Miley, or Selena. I don't own anything except the story.**

I made my way down to the kitchen, thoroughly confused. I just sat at the counter and stared at the wall across from me. A couple minutes later, Joe came into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water, refusing to look at me the whole while. Why was Joe acting so weird lately anyways? He was worse than a girl PMSing with his mood swings towards me lately. We sat there in the kitchen in silence for a good hour, neither of us speaking. I couldn't even begin to imagine what sort of things could be running through Joe's mind in that time. He just stared down at the now empty glass in his hand and never said a word. My mind however, was racing. I won't lie, I am ashamed to say that while half my thoughts were on why Selena had been crying, my other half were on why Miley had started crying when she saw Selena and where she had disappeared to.

Just when I thought I couldn't take the silence and the wondering any more, Miley stepped into the room and said softly, looking at the ground the whole time, "Sel woke up." Joe instantly seemed to come alive and he looked up from the cup and started to make his way out of the room, but Miley stopped him, putting a hand on his arm. "She asked for Nick," she said, giving Joe a reassuring look before both of them turned to look at me. Quickly, I jumped up from my chair and ran up the stairs into Joe's room.

Selena looked so small and fragile sitting in that bed. She had a sad smile on her face when she saw me walk into the room. I instantly ran across the room to kneel by the bed, and took her hand up in mine. "Sel, don't go scaring me like that," I mumbled looking at the girl. She had truly had me thinking the worst when I first saw her come through the door in Joe's arms.

She just gave me that same sad smile as before and said in a low voice, "Nicky, we need to talk." I gave her a confused nod. What was going on here? "What are we doing anymore?" she asked. I didn't understand what she meant, but she just went on, "I mean really, what are we playing at? Nick, you are my best friend in this whole world."

"You're my best friend too Sel," I said softly, lifting her hand that I held in mine and placing a gentle kiss on it.

"And I love you," she went on.

"I love you too Sel," I said, confused as to where this was going.

"I know you do," she said, and then let out a small sigh. "But you aren't _in_ love with me. And while I may feel like I am in love with you, I know we just aren't meant to be."

I could feel something crumbling inside of me. My whole world that I had worked so hard to build up since my parents died, the one that Selena had had to build for me, it was falling apart. Sel was the foundation to my sanity and happiness. Something was breaking in me, but it wasn't my heart exactly. At least, not in the way my heart should have been breaking. "Sel…" was all I managed to get out.

"Nick, you are still my best friend in the whole world. You know that right?" she asked. I just looked at her. "Me and you Nicky, we are a team. We always will be." A hopeful look lit up in my eyes as I kept looking at her lying in that bed. Was this really a moment when she meant we were still friends, or was it one of the icing on the breakup stories that people always felt the need to tell. I still couldn't believe she was breaking up with me. She had seemed so happy with me just earlier that day.

"You mean it Sel?" was all I could manage to ask?

"Of course," she said, her sad smile brightening a bit. "Do you remember what I said to you the day your mom and dad died?" she asked. I couldn't help myself, a wide smile broke out on my face and I nodded. It had been our promise to each other, made in secret in the dead of night, up on the rooftop under the stars. Ever since then, we always tried to spend at least one night a week up on that roof looking at the stars. "I told you that even though sometimes you might think that you will be fine by yourself, because it's easy to feel like you don't need help, when you open your heart and believe in me, I will help you through all the highs, and all the lows. I will be there whenever you are lost or scared. I will be the person you can count, the one person who will always care. And when it seems like all your hope comes crashing down, and you feel all alone, I will be there to help you pick up the pieces."

"And you always were Sel," I said with a smile.

"And I always will be Nicky."

A gentle knock came from the door, and Miley snuck in the room near silently. I was still smiling at Selena, and felt silent tears falling down my face. I was truly blessed to have her around, to have such a great friend. Miley came and sat on the bed next to Selena. That all too knowing look that only girls can manage passed between the two, and Miley smiled down at her. "Sel, Joe and I ordered pizza. We are thinking that after what an eventful day today was, we just need to kick back, watch old black and white horror movies, and stuff our faces. That is, if you want to stay here?"

Selena smiled back up at Miley and pushed herself into a sitting position on the bed. "Are you kidding me? Of course I want to stay," she said with a giggle.

Then both the girls at the same time yelled, "SLUMBER PARTY!" and burst into a fit of giggles. I was left the odd man out of the girly enthusiasm, and just laughed at the two. Then Selena stopped laughing and got a serious look on her face. "I think before we have any fun though, I really could use a hair brush." The two girls fit into a burst of laughter again.

"I think that can be arranged," Miley said with a smile.

_____________________________________________________________

**Alright, I am thinking Kevin needs some lovin too, even as just a back story. I can't leave that sexy beast loveless. Unfortunately, I don't know who the girl should be. Any ideas?**


End file.
